Safety device for railway switch and signal apparatus.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

. L. GRIFFITH. I SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.5,1904.

runs muuwo Ilium n t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCEGRIFIFITH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK. SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAYSWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed o fl 5. 1904. Serial No. 231-514.

companying drawings.

My invention relates to railway switch and signal apparatus, and itsobjects are to provide safety devices for both the indicator and themotor of such apparatus.

To these ends my invention consists,

broadly, of means whereby at certain times the indicator or themotor-may be prevented from acting, though the apparatus in otherrespects would be adapted to operate them.

Reference may be made to United States Letters Patent No. 724,180,granted to me March 31, 1903; No. 776,238, granted to me November 29,1904, and to my pending application, Serial No. 151,578, dated April 8,1903.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I shall firstdescribe in detail the manner in which I carry the same into prac-- ticeand then point out the novel features of the invention in the claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thespecification, in which similar characters of reference indicate similarparts mall the views, of which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of myinvention as applied to a pneumatically-operated motion-plate. Fig. 2shows a modification; Fig. 3, a detail sectional view of one of theelectropneumatic valves shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the motion-plate A operated pneumatically or byfluid under pressure, and reference may be had to abovementioned PatentNo. 724,130, the valves X and Y being controlled in this case byelectric relays or magnets X and Y instead of by pneumatic diaphragms.In Fig. 1 Ihave also shown the indicator 1 cooperating with operatorsquadrant 2 of my said Letters Patent No. 776,233, and in Fig. 2 I haveshown the indicator 1 cooperating with operator's stroke-completing bar3 of my said application, Serial No. 151,578.

Referring to Fig. 1, the motion-plate A is operated by piston 5 ofpneumatic motor W. Pipe 7 supplies power from valve X to operate piston5 in one direction and pipe 6 from valve Y to operate said piston in theother direction in the usual way. Said valves X and Y are counterpartsof each other, each having three ports. Ports 8 lead to the supply ofcompressed air or other fluid under pressure. Ports 10 lead to theatmosphere or exhaust. Ports 9 lead to opposite side of piston 5 of themotor IV. The valves X and Y are provided with pistons 11, adaptednormally to close supply-ports 8 and open exhaust-ports' 10. Springs 12normally hold said pistons 11 in the position just above described.(Jooperating with said pistons .11 are relays X and Y','so that whensaid relays are energized pistons 11 will close exhaustports 10 and opensupply-ports 8. Upon the movement of the operat-ors bar or lever 13bridge 14 will be brought into contact with springs 15 and 16, and valveX will be opened to admit compressed air by pipe 7 to motor 11, asfollows: wire 17, relay 91, wire 18, contact-springs 15 and 16, bridge11, wire 19, contact-springs and 21, bridge 22, wire 23, relay X, wire2-1, to battery, so that armature X of relay X will be raised, and byenergy supplied through valve X and pipe 7 piston 5 will be moved andwill carry with it motion-plate A and switch or controller M, therebybreaking connection between contact-springs 21 and 20 and makingconnection between contat-springs 25 and 26 by bridge 27 and breakingcontact between springs 28 and 29 by bridge 30 and making contactbetween springs 31 and 32 by said bridge 30. In this position roller 33will abut against shoulder 31 of the slot in the quadrant 2, and saidroller 33 will be raised by the action of indicator 1, which isenergized as follows: wires 17 35 36 37, solenoid or indicator 1, wire38, contact-springs 30 and -10, bridge =11, wire -12, contact-springs 31and 32, bridge 30, wire 98, to battery. It will be understood that stops51 and 51 operate to move bridge 41 during a portion only of the strokeof rod 56), which rod is mechanically connected with quadrant 2 or bar3, as the case may be, and moves with it, carrying bridge 1-1 and bridge68, whose functions with contactsprings 64 and 65 and 66 and 67 will behereinafter described. The said relay 91, being coonccted with thecircuits of relays X and Y, as above described, is energized whenevercurrent is on'the circuit of either of said relays X or Y, and it willbe understood that when said relay 91 is energized the circuit ofsolenoid I will be broken between wires. 36 and 37. I

sometimes provide relay 91 with additional windings of higher resistancethan that con nected with wires 17 and 18 and connect such through thecircuit containing the lower winding, causing the blowing out of fuse P,the relay 91 would still act to break the circuit of solenoid 1 by theaction of the upper winding; but normally the upper Winding merely aidsthe lower winding in doing its work. Should there be a cross oraccidental current on the circuit of relay X when the apparatus is inthe position shown in the drawings, the same will be shunted away'fromsaid relay back to battery, as follows: wire 19, contact-springs 66 and67, bridge 68, and thence to battery.

Should the switch-points 102, and therefore the motion-plate A, be movedwhile the apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 1, connection willbe immediately made between contact-springs 25 and 26 by bridge 27 andrelay 1' will be energized to admit pressure to piston 5 to replace saidswitch-points and motion-plate A, as follows: wire 17, relay 91, wire18, contact-spring 63, bridge 14, contactspring 62, and thence by wirecontact-spring 26, bridge 27, contact-spring 25, wire 43, relay Y, so asto open valve Y, and thereby replace the motion-plate.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be understood that solenoid orindicator 1 cooperates with slot 47 48 49 of stroke-completing bar 3 tothrow the apparatus to full-reverse or normal position, as more fullydescribed in my said application Serial No. 151,578.

It will be understood that the invention hereinabove described may beused with a plurality of motion-plates and motors therefor withoutdeparting from my invention and that Q and R are the ordinary fuse andcutout box, respectively, but they are intro-- duced in the main circuitof the relays X and Y to prevent any movement of the relays X and Y upona continuation of the circuit formed by bridge 68 with eithercontactsprings 64 and 65 or 66 and 67.

Should the circuit of solenoid 1 be accie dentally returned to batterywhile the apparatus is in the position shown in the drawings, connectionbeing made between contactsprings 39 and 40 by bridge 41, said solenoid1 will be energized, and the apparatus will be held by the pushing up ofthe roller 33 in slot 47.

seriesor a parallel electrical connection nor to a return to battery bymetallic circuit, as distinguished from grounding.

a What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- I ters Patent, is

Of course I do not limit myself to either acator and an electricallycontrolled pneumatic motor for the motion-plate or device to be moved,means for preventing the action of the indicator while there is airunder pressure supplied to the pneumatic motor ofsaid motion-plate.

2. In apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like,comprising an electric indicator,-a pneumatically-operated motion-plateor device to be moved, and two electropneumatic valves for controllingthe supply of air under pressure to the operative means of saidmotionlate,- means for preventing the action of tli ergy supplied toeither of said valves.

3. In apparatus for operatingswitches,sig-

matic motor for the motion-plate or device tov be moved, means forpreventing the action of the indicator While there is electric energysupplied to the controlling means of said motor, which consists of arelay adapted to break the electric connection of said indicator at saidtimes.

4. In ap ,aratus for operating switches, signals, and t e likecomprising an electric indicator and an electrically controlledfluidpressure motor for the motion-plate or device to be moved, meansfor holding the apparatus by the action of the indicator upon itscircuit being accidentally returned to sourc of energy.

5. In ap aratus for operating switches, signals, and t e likehaving anelectrically-controlled fluid-pressure motor for the motionplate ordevice to be moved, the combination of an electric indicator, means forshunting current away from the controlling means of said motor, withmeans for preventing action of the indicator while there is electricenergy supplied to said controlling means of the motor.

6. In apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like having anelectrically-controlled fiuid-pressure motor for th motionplate ordevice to be moved, the combination of means for shunting current awayfrom the controlling means of said motor when the apparatus is at normalor reverse position, with a fuse or cut-out device in the circuit ofsaid controlling means.

In apparatus for operating switches, nals, and the like having anelectrically-controlled fluid-pressure motor for the ,motiom plate ordevice to be moved, an indicatorcon sisting of a mechanical deviceoperated bv a single electric unit and means for connecting said unitwith the same source of electric energy that actuates the controller ofsaid motor.

8. In apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like having anelectrically-controlled fluid-pressure motor for the motionplate ordevice to be moved an indicator e indicator while there is electric en-TIO whereby the a paratus is thrown to 'full-re- I thrown to full-reverse or normal position re verse or norma position, consisting of ameupon each complete movement of said mo-- chanieal device operated by asingle electric tion-plate.

unit. l In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 9. In ap aratus foroperatmg switches, sighand this 4th day of November, 1904. nals, and thelike having an electrically-com LAW. GRIFFITH. trolled fluid-pressuremotor for the motion- In presence ofplate or device to be moved, anelectrie llldl". FRANCIS L. FIELD,

cator whereby the apparatus is autom atieellv J. F. BONDREAU.

